Partner no more?
by Sid1
Summary: Renamon falls in love with a man. The events run wild after she turns away from Ruki. (same setting as 'Human, Digimon, or...?') (Finally completed!)
1. New friend - Lost friendship?

Partner no more?  
Part I  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  
I don't own Digimon etc. etc. etc.  
If you want to know more about Sanjay, I suggest you read "Human, Digimon, or...?" first.  
  


* * *

  
_Life is good._ Ruki decides.  
She even allows herself a smile.  
Sitting in a tree in the park, Ruki watches other people passing by without noticing her.  
The sun is shining, the air feels warm, and she has just on another tournament.  
Renamon is sitting next to her, her eyes fixed on some distant spot.  
Ruki shifts her weight on the branch and watches her Digimon.  
The Digimon looks frustrated, which surprises Ruki.  
"No Digimon recently." Renamon says, sensing the girl's look.  
"Oh don't worry. I bet there-" Ruki starts to answer.  
She interrupts herself when the yellow fox suddenly grins.  
Althought Ruki knows exactly what the Digimon is looking at, she turns her head.  
Sure enough, there is a Digital Field, maybe fifty meters away.  
She turns her head back again and sees that Renamon is already gone.  
Sighing, she quickly climbs down the tree and starts running.  
  
_Can't believe my luck!_ Renamon happily thinks, running towards the Digital Field.  
Ruki would arrive soon, but Renamon decides not to wait.  
She walks into the mist and takes a look around.  
Renamon is startled when she hears a Digimon scream in horror.  
_It's dead already? Oh no. Please don't tell me that this oversized lizard did the job!_  
Angrily, she starts to plunge deeper into the fading mist.  
But she doesn't find Guilmon. Instead she sees a man carrying a sword.  
"Sorry, got here sooner." he tells her, smiling friendly.  
And although Renamon is furious, she finds herself smiling back at the man.  
"Oh well." she just answers.  
_What am I saying? That is a human! A stranger! And he probably took care of the Digimon!_  
Still, Renamon is unable to dislike the man.  
Trying to hide her confusion, Renamon fades out of the normal world.  
  
Although she needed only some seconds, Ruki realizes that she is too late.  
The Digital Field is already gone.  
_Looks like somebody was really eager to fight._ she supposes, smiling.  
Quickly she climbs into another tree to have a place to talk.  
As expected, Renamon instantly appears next to her after she has sit down on a branch.  
But the Digimon isn't smiling.  
At least, she isn't wearing that 'Just finished a Digimon'-smile.  
_No, this is something else._ Ruki notices.  
"What happened?" she finally asks.  
"A man took care of the Digimon." Renamon simply answers.  
Ruki raises her eyebrows.  
"A human fought the Digimon?"  
"I guess so. He had a sword."  
And before Ruki can ask another question, Renamon is gone.  
Lost in her own thoughts, Ruki doesn't call her back.  
  
The next day, Ruki has to go to school again.  
And while she is sitting in class, Renamon scouts through the city.  
After some hours, she is lucky and sees another Digital Field.  
Almost as expected, it starts to fade when she arrives.  
Her heart beats faster when she sees the man emerge from it, carrying his sword.  
"Hello, Renamon." he greets her.  
_He knows my name?_ she thinks, trying to hide her surprise.  
"Uhhh... hello." she shyly greets back.  
For a while, they are just standing in front of each other.  
Suddenly, he seems to be aware that the Digital Field is no longer hiding them.  
He quickly waves her towards a van.  
_What am I doing?_ Renamon asks herself as she climbs into it.  
He climbs in after her and closes the door.  
The back of the van is windowless, so Renamon feels somewhat safe.  
The stranger is sitting in fron of her, smiling friendly.  
Then he shakes his head, laughing.  
"I'm sorry, I totally forgot to introduce myself." he tells her.  
Renamon laughs, too, since she didn't even notice that.  
"Daniel Gallagher, pleasure to meet you." he says, extracting his hand.  
"The pleasure's all mine." Renamon answers before thinking about it.  
_What? I'm talking to a stranger here! But... he's so friendly._  
Then she notices that he is still holding her paw.  
It actually felt good and Renamon wonders about the last time Ruki has held her like that.  
After a while she realizes that there hasn't been a last time.  
"You know, I was really hoping to see you here." Daniel finally admits.  
"Oh really? Why?" she whispers, not wanting to disturb the mood.  
"You're the most fascinating Digimon I've ever seen." Daniel answers.  
Renamon feels that she is actually blushing!  
_That guy's flirting!_ her mind yells.  
But she doesn't care about it. She simply enjoys the warm feeling.  
_"Renamon."_ another voice calls her.  
_Oh please, not now!_ she silently begs.  
She is lost in Daniels blue eyes. Minutes silently pass.  
_"Renamon!"_  
Renamon finally sighs in defeat.  
"I've got to go." she whispers, brushing Daniel's cheek.  
Daniel just nods.  
"Until next time." he whispers back as Renamon vanishes.  
  
Still smiling, Renamon appears next to Ruki.  
The girl is standing in a small corridor in her school.  
"Took you long enough." she simply mutters instead of a greeting.  
Renamon feels the warm feeling inside her instantly vanish.  
And somehow, she misses it.  
"Did you learn anything about the man with the sword?" Ruki asks when she receives no answer.  
Renamon gasps.  
"You called me away just to ask THAT?" she yells, startling Ruki.  
Ruki stares at her Digimon and Renamon can tell that the girl is angry.  
Still, she refuses to apologize.  
_Ruki wouldn't understand. She doesn't want to see that Digimon have feelings, too._  
They stand in the corridor some seconds longer.  
Finally Renamon disappears again. Again, Ruki doesn't call her back.  



	2. Diplomatic Act

Partner no more?  
Part II  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
Three days have passed since the incident in the school corridor.  
Since there have been no Digital Fields during those days, Ruki didn't have an urgent reason to call Renamon.  
And although she had done so often in the past, she refused to call her to talk or train.  
Renamon was probably the only one who actually felt happiness during these days.  
She spent most of the time with Daniel, who had become a close friend by now.  
Everything seemed to be just right when he was around.  
But nobody around her seemed to understand...  
  
Ruki is walking through the streets, praying to some higher force for help.  
"Uh, Ruki?" Lee asks her, running to catch up with her.  
_Gods must have a twisted sense of humor._  
"What." she asks flatly.  
She stops walking and looks at Lee.  
Just then, Takato also closes in. He looks even more worked out than Lee.  
_Oh. Great. Mojo and Jojo coming to the rescue._  
"We're sorry to disturb you, but we have noticed that you are kinda... down..." Lee tries to explain.  
"I don't need your pity, you little.. little..." Ruki tries to find a snappy answer.  
"See what we mean? You even lost your edge." Takato tells her.  
"Oh, so now I'm a weakling just like you?" Ruki almost shouts.  
"Ruki. What's wrong? We haven't seen Renamon for a while, maybe-" Lee starts to say.  
"Leave me alone with this Renamon-stuff! All right?" Ruki suddenly yells.  
Without waiting for a response, she turns around and starts to run.  
She runs at top speed so that none of the two boys can catch up with her.  
So that none of them can see her tears.  
  
Lee is staring after her, frowing.  
Takato seems to be quite excited and is unable to stand still.  
"Come on! We may still be able to-" he eagerly starts to propose.  
But Lee just shakes his head.  
"No. I think we're not getting through to her." he tells Takato.  
Then he takes a quick look around.  
The street they're standing in just happens to be empty.  
"Terriermon!" Lee shouts at the sky.  
Seconds later, his little Digimon floats towards him.  
Quickly Terriermon assumes his normal position on Lee's shoulder.  
"Come on." Lee tells Takato as he starts to walk.  
"Where are you going?" Takato asks the blue haired boy.  
"The park. Guilmon should not be left out of this one."  
  
On their way to the park, Lee explains what he has planned.  
"You're crazy." Takato simply comments the plan.  
"We've no other choice." Lee corrects him.  
"The plan is still dumb." Terriermon tells Lee.  
_Galileo Galilei, Christoph Columbus, Albert Einstein. I'm in good company._ Lee tells himself and sighs.  
After having met Guilmon in the park, the party stays at the lizard Digimon's hiding place.  
"Plan stinks." Guilmon says after Lee tells him his plan.  
Hearing that, Terriermon just snickers.  
"So, does anybody of you have a better idea?" Lee finally asks.  
The forest clearing becomes instantly silent.  
"Yep. Almost thought so." he says after a while.  
"Well, it's you plan, so you do it." Takato tells him.  
Lee sighs and calms himself.  
He quickly checks that his D-Arc and his cards are at their usual places, should anything go wrong.  
The others form a triangle around him. A large triangle.  
As if performing a ceremony, Lee stands in the middle of them and stares at the edge of the clearing.  
Then he closes his eyes.  
"Renamon." he firmly says.  
He waits.  
After several seconds, he repeats the name.  
Just after the third call, he can hear a familiar voice.  
"You don't give up, do-" Renamon says, appearing right in front of Lee.  
Then she realizes that she has been called by Lee.  
"YOU? YOU DARE TO CALL MY NAME?" she yells down at him, using her size to her full advantage.  
She has already lifted her arm for a blow when she notices the others.  
"You lucky day." she hisses, vanishing again.  
And although Lee feels like dropping dead, he finds the strength to speak.  
"No! Wait! Please!" he shouts.  
Slowly, Renamon appears again, snarling at him.  
"You're stressing your luck." she whispers.  
"Please." Lee tries to calm her down, gesturing at a park bench.  
Renamon just sighs and sits sown on the bench.  
The others now dare to come closer, too.  
  
Lee quickly tells Renamon what they already know.  
Then he mentions that Ruki is feeling miserable.  
"So? Did anybody care about my feelings? Do you think I always enjoyed this?" Renamon defends herself.  
When she sees four blank faces, she continues.  
"Do you actually think that it's easy serving a girl that doesn't even treat you as a living being?"  
"Come on now, Rena. Don't-" Terriermon starts to answer.  
The answer is interrupted by Renamon fiercely grabbing the smaller Digimon.  
"Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Rena. Got that?" she hisses.  
Then she drops the Digimon again.  
"OK. Renamon then. Don't you think that you are overreacting?" Terriermon finally manages to ask.  
"Tsk." Renamon just mutters.  
"We don't serve them. They're our friends." Guilmon says.  
Renamon looks at the young and naive lizard Digimon, giving him a weak smile.  
She leans forward and puts a paw on his shoulder.  
"Takato is your friend. Lee is Terriermon's friend. But Ruki..." she tells him softly.  
"Oh." Guilmon says, understanding Renamon's point.  
Renamon sighs, feeling completely miserable again.  
She misses Daniel. His kind nature.  
Or maybe Ruki. Then she could at least be angry.  
But these four? They just pity her. But why?  
"See? That's why I like Daniel. He cares about me." she finally tells them.  
When she sees four blank expressions again, she knows she has talked too much.  
"Who's Daniel?" Takato voices the question that is written on each face.  
Renamon curses her big mouth, but she knows that she has to tell them now.  
Feeling even worse than seconds ago, she tells them about Daniel.  
How he cares for her. What he told her.  
She even mentions the little gifts he gave her. Flowers mainly.  
  
_And I thought this was something that could be fixed by talking to both sides._  
Lee shakes his head in disbelief.  
_Renamon's in love. If Ruki knows only half of what we now know-_  
This leads him to another question.  
"Does Ruki know all this?" he quietly asks Renamon.  
The Digimon looks at him, thinking.  
Then her eyes widen.  
"Don't tell her! Please! I guess she merely suspects something. Please-" she quickly begs.  
She actually kneels in front of Lee with a desperated look on her face.  
Slowly, Lee drags her back onto the bench.  
"It's all right. Calm down. We won't tell anything." he tells her, soothing her nerves.  
Then he looks at Terriermon.  
"Yeah, I know. I'll stay inside your room for some days..." the Digimon instantly tells him.  
"Thank you." Renamon whispers, surprising the whole group.  
When nobody said anything for a while, Renamon decided to depart.  
"If you need to talk, you know where to find us." Lee tells the fading Digimon.  
The fox nods in appreciation.  
  
"So... This is it?" Takato asks, unsure about the last turn of events.  
Lee wanders in circles, thinking.  
"I still have a very bad feeling about this." Terriermon adds.  
"The whole situation is a huge bomb just waiting to explode." Lee finally states.  
"Well, maybe it'll just work out. If Ruki doesn't even know-" Takato starts.  
Lee just gives him a look.  
"Ruki isn't dumb. She knows about that man and she has seen Renamon's behaviour."  
"So you think she already knows about... them?" Takato asks.  
"I hope I'm wrong, but I guess so."  
"But we can't do anything about it." Guilmon mutters in frustration.  
"If only there was somebody who could keep an eye on them." Lee talks to himself.  
Takato thinks about it.  
"I guess it can't be any of us." he tells Lee.  
Lee just nods.  
"Nobody of us has the skills necessary to watch them without being seen." he says.  
"But we don't know anybody who could do this." Takato sighs.  
"Well... I think I know somebody..." Terriermon whispers.  
Everybody stares at the Digimon.  
"I have the feeling that I won't like your suggestion..." Lee supposes.  
  
He should be proven right.  



	3. Tamer no more

Partner no more?  
Part III  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
Lee is feeling miserable.  
Terriermon had assured him that there weren't any better choices left, so he accepted.  
_Still, it's a stupid idea._  
He sighs and opens the door.  
_Besides, if this is such a good idea, why am I doing this completely alone?_  
"Either you come in or you stay out, but please close the door."  
The voice of Lady Kioko snaps him out of his thoughts.  
"I'm sorry." he says, moving into the store.  
"So, what brings you here today? You aren't here for the ordered things, are you?"  
"No no. I was looking... for someone..." Lee slowly says, thinking about a good approach.  
"I'm listening."  
"Do you remeber the man who scared the robbers away some days ago?" Lee asks.  
"Oh of course I do!" the woman answers with a smile.  
"I was kinda wondering... if you have seen him again..."  
"So the fox kept it to herself, hm?"  
Lee freezes.  
"The... fox?"  
"Yeah, you know. Yellow, white belly, wearing gloves?" Lady Kioko helps him out.  
Even while Lee desperately tries to think of a good excuse, the woman turns her head.  
"Oh Sanjay! You've got a visitor!" she shouts.  
Lee turns his head, too, but only sees a hole in the floor leading into the cellar.  
"One second!" he can hear a male voice.  
"It's a friend of your fox friend, no need to overdress!" the woman answers, laughing.  
Lee's jaw drops even more as Sanjay climbs up the ladder leading into the shop.  
He sees a large humanoid wolf, wearing leather trousers and a large grin.  
"Hi there. I think we haven't been introduced yet." he tells Lee.  
"Uh... Gnnnn... My names's... Uh..." Lee tries to say.  
"Lee?" Kioko helps out, smiling.  
"Uh right. My name's Lee. Sorry for staring, but..."  
"It's all right. What brings you here?"  
  
Some minutes later, Lee and Sanjay are sitting in Sanjay's cellar.  
Lee quickly tells Sanjay what Renamon has told him.  
"So Renamon has a friend. And Ruki is having a bad time." Sanjay summarizes.  
Lee just nods.  
"I'm still waiting for the part that is of interest for me." Sanjay continues.  
"I... We... were thinking that it would be great if you had an eye on them."  
There is a long moment of silence.  
"You want me to spy on them?" Sanjay finally asks.  
"No. I don't want to know exactly what is happening. I just don't want them to get into trouble."  
"Oh, you mean because Renamon's friend is a human Digimon Slayer?"  
"I wouldn't have said it so bluntly, but yes."  
Sanjay frowns, but when he sees the look on the boy's face, he finally nods.  
  
Kioko instantly nods when Sanjay tells her why he is going to be gone for a few days.  
"During my life I have learnt that friendship is the most valuable good." she tells him.  
"Thanks. You know, you're the first human I've met who really accepted me."  
Lady Kioko just smiles.  
  
The very next night, Ruki can see a Digital Field again.  
It is on top of a store not too far away.  
She is already dressed when she realizes that she would have to call Renamon.  
_I'll worry when I get there._ she tells herself, shaking her head.  
After a short run, she can see that the Lee and Takato have also arrived.  
Both of them are accompanied by their Digimon and look at her.  
She ignores them and uses the fire-ladder to get to the roof.  
After having climbed more or less six meters, she arrives on top of the building.  
She is followed by Takato, who then uses a card to give Guilmon wings.  
_Well, he seems to have learned something. Of course, that's nothing compared to Rena-_  
She shakes her head again.  
Standing on the roof is a Gatomon.  
_It's now or never._  
"Renamon."  
Nothing.  
In her whole life, Ruki has never felt that humiliated.  
_She's ignoring me in front of those two... morons!_  
While the battle starts without her, she calls Renamon's name again and again.  
Each time, she feels a little bit lonelier.  
  
The fight ends after a good combo of Terriermon and Guilmon.  
Ruki just keeps on whispering Renamon's name, tears clouding her vision.  
She pushes the boys away when they try to get near her.  
After some minutes, they sigh and leave the roof, leaving Ruki alone.  
"Oh... Renamon..."  
Suddenly, Ruki can hear the soft telltale sound of Renamon appearing.  
Ruki spins around to face the Digimon.  
Renamon frowns, but doesn't say anything.  
  
Sanjay has climbed the roof next to the one Ruki has been standing on.  
Since his building is one floor taller than Ruki's, he has a good view.  
Right now, Ruki has started to vent her anger.  
_Lee was right. This really is bad._  
Just then, something else catches his attention.  
It's a man standing some meters behind Renamon.  
He is carrying a sword and smiling happily.  
Sanjay growls silently when he realizes who he is looking at.  
  
On the roof below him, Ruki hasn't stopped yelling.  
"How dare you to do this to me!"  
"That's all you care about! Yourself!" Renamon shouts back.  
"You're the most pathetic excuse for a Digimon! Sometimes I... Sometimes..."  
"Sometimes you what? Ran out of words already?" Renamon mocks her.  
"Sometimes I wish I never had gotten this." Ruki whispers, presenting her D-Arc.  
Renamon holds her breath for a second.  
_She wouldn't..._ she tells herself, but then Renamon's angry side takes over again.  
"Pah! Who forced you? If you don't like it-"  
Renamon is silenced by the sound of the D-Arc hitting the roof.  
It is quickly joined by her card holder.  
Then the girl steps forward until she stands right in front of Renamon.  
"I hate you." she whispers.  
Then, suddenly, Ruki is flying backwards.  
Renamon realizes that her right arm is extracted. She has actually hit her Tamer.  
_Ex-Tamer._ the angry side of herself corrects her.  
Even as Renamon is thinking this, Ruki keeps on flying.  
_The edge of the roof!_ Renamon suddenly thinks.  
"Ruki!" she shouts in horror.  
But it's already too late.  
Ruki is sailing straight off the roof.  
Normally, Renamon would have dived right after her.  
This time however, she finds herself still standing there, right arm still extracted.  
"Ruki..." she whispers, not believing what she has done.  
She snaps out of her trance when somebody grabs her shoulder.  
The sweet feeling inside her tells her that it must be Daniel.  
"Come on! We'll take the back door! Hurry!" he urges her.  
Suddenly feeling very hollow, Renamon follows him into the building.  
  
They've just entered another corridor inside the building when suddenly Daniel stops.  
"Wait here. I forgot... my sword." he tells Renamon.  
The Digimon just nods, not really registering his words.  
"Stay. Please." he says.  
Again, Renamon nods.  
The Digimon doesn't even realize that Daniel is holding the sword in his hand.  
He quickly gets back to the roof.  
_The girl dropped this device. Definately something for the collection._ he tells himself.  
Things hadn't gone exactly the way he imagined.  
They had run even better than he had anticipated.  
He quickly searches the part of the roof where the girl had dropped her stuff.  
But the device and the card case are gone.  
"What the-" he mutters.  
The sound of sirens prevent him from searching other parts of the roof.  
As he runs back into the building, he tells himself that this evening has been a success nevertheless.  



	4. Judgement Day?

Partner no more?  
Part IV  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
The Police arrives first.  
"Did you call us?" the Police Officer asks as he exits the car.  
There is a group of people in front of him, all of them gesturing and shouting.  
"Hey! Did you call an ambulance and the police?" the officer shouts.  
Finally he is getting some attention. One man leaves the group and greets the policeman.  
"I called you." he admits.  
"All right, listen. The ambulance will be here any second, so you should-"  
"We don't need that anymore." the man tells the officer.  
  
Renamon barely sleeps this night.  
Daniel insisted that she stayed with him.  
"You have to stay down for a while." he told her.  
_Hiding like the criminal I am._ she thinks, a tear rolling down her cheek.  
She is lying on his bed, her tail drawing wild and uneasy patterns into the air.  
Finally, Daniel comes in again. He is carrying a cellphone.  
"Did you call the hospitals?" she asks desperately.  
_Please, oh please let her be alive!_ she prays.  
"I phoned all of them. Ruki hasn't been in any emergency room." he tells her, shaking his head.  
Renamon drops on the bed, feeling weak.  
_So this is it, then. If she hasn't been to any hospital, there is only one choice left._  
"I killed her." she sobs, her paws covering her face.  
Daniel simply sits down next to her, putting a hand on her back.  
"It was an accident." he whispers, trying to calm her down.  
"I killed her." Renamon repeats, as if not hearing him.  
"It was an accident." Daniel simply repeats.  
_Then why am I feeling like a murderer?_  
  
Ruki is feeling lonely.  
She is standing in a completely black space.  
The only thing that gives her a familiar feeling is the existence of a floor.  
"Where am I?" she whispers, glad to hear her voice break the silence.  
_This darkness drives me crazy!_  
Although there is no source of light, she can clearly see herself when she looks down.  
Still, she cannot see anything else.  
Then, suddenly, she is standing in front of a giant judge's desk.  
The desk looks more like a podium and is so high that she cannot see the judge.  
"RUKI MAKINO." a voice booms, seemingly coming from everywhere at once.  
Overwhelmed by this, Ruki drops onto her knees.  
"THE TIME OF THE FINAL JUDGEMENT HAS COME."  
Ruki looks up at the desk in horror.  
The judge is standing now, looking down at her small form.  
Ruki screams in horror when she realizes that the judge is Renamon.  
"YOU WILL BE JUDGED BEFORE ENTERING THE AFTERLIFE."  
_No, this can't be! This can't be! This can't-_  
She jumps when she feels a hand on her shoulder.  
"Boy, you do look frightened." she can hear somebody mutter behind her.  
Ruki has made two quick steps forward before turning around to face the person behind her.  
She was puzzled by the sound of the voice, it sounded very familiar.  
When she sees the other person, she screams again.  
Standing right in front of Ruki is... Ruki.  
But unlike herself, the other Ruki is wearing a long dress and is wearing her hair at shoulder length.  
Ruki isn't sure what to find more bizarre:  
Her own death, her afterlife lying in the paws of her Digimon or seeing herself dressed like a lady.  
While Ruki catches her breath again, she keeps staring at the lady Ruki.  
"Everything all right again?" the lady Ruki asks, smiling slightly.  
Ruki opens her mouth to answer, but she doesn't know what to say first.  
_Oh sure, I'm all right. Just feeling a little... DEAD!_ she thinks sarcastically.  
Then she decides not to risk anything.  
_Not while my future depends on Renamon. Oh, I remember my lasts words again: I hate you._  
Ruki shakes her head, almost laughing.  
_Oh boy, I'm dead._  
Then she realizes that this is nothing but the truth.  
She is startled when she sees her other self standing next to her.  
"Tsk, if I had known you'd react like this, I would have chosen another approach." the lady tells her.  
While the lady shakes her head, the court vanishes.  
Instead, Ruki is standing in her room again.  
"What the-" Ruki starts.  
She is interrupted by her lady self coming into the room.  
While she had been wearing an evening dress before, she is now wearing a summer skirt and a shirt.  
And she is still smiling happily.  
_Oh I get it. This must be my afterlife. Eternal suffering by seeing me like this._ Ruki muses.  
  
"What will I do now?" Renamon quietly asks.  
"Hm?" Daniel just asks.  
He is lying in bed now. Renamon has walked through the room for the last hour.  
She doesn't even notice that she has woken him.  
"What should I do now? Without Ruki..."  
"Look, Renamon. Ruki had abandoned you. She told you that she hates you."  
Renamon winces when he mentions this.  
"I'm sorry. But you can't spend the future missing someone who hated you."  
Slowly she nods.  
"You're right. I'm sorry Daniel." she whispers.  
"It's all right. I know you miss her. But you still have me, don't you?"  
She manages to smile.  
"Yes. Thanks, Daniel." she says sitting next to him and giving him a hug.  
  
"So, how do you feel?" the feminine Ruki asks.  
"Take a guess."  
"So snappy..." lady Ruki mutters, shaking her head.  
"When will I be judged? Or am I going directly to hell?" Ruki asks.  
Lady Ruki just smiles.  
"Oh, you mean the court?" she asks innocently.  
"Yes, of course I mean the court!" Ruki shouts at her...self.  
"That was a fake. Just wanted to tease ya."  
Ruki feels her jaw drop to the floor.  
Just as she wants to protest, the feminine Ruki continues to explain.  
"You should be thankful, not many people get a test run of this." she says.  
"But-but-but-" Ruki stutters, trying to find the right words.  
"No but's. You may suspect this by now, but you are not dead."  
When the lady sees Ruki's expression of hope, she adds one word.  
"Yet."  
There is a long pause.  
"If I'm not dead... yet, what is all this?" Ruki finally asks.  
The lady Ruki spreads out her arms.  
"Everything here is happening inside your head." she tells her.  
"Then you are-"  
"A figment of your imagination. But please don't try to think me away."  
Ruki stares at her in surprise for she just wanted to try this very thing.  
"I am everything that you aren't." the lady continues.  
"Friendly, happy, having a sense for fashion.  
I represent everything you have consciously or unsconsciously locked away from your personality.  
Just like some kind of inner child. And since we don't get together like this very often-"  
"Thank Heaven." Ruki mutters.  
"- I decided to show you some of your mistakes." her lady self finishes.  
"I didn't-"  
"You might die because of your biggest mistake." the lady tells her.  
For the first time since her arriveal, her lady self isn't smiling.  
Ruki gulps and slowly sits on her sleep mat.  
"Good. then you are aware that you failed." the lady mutters.  
"Failed?"  
"You failed Renamon. You do realize that, don't you?"  
Noticing her blank expression, the lady sighs.  
"Renamon picked you. Not the other way around. Don't answer, you know that it is this way.  
She trusted you by becoming your partner. Have you ever noticed the other tamers?  
No, don't say anything, I know what you think of them. They have Digimon, too.  
Have you seen how they behave towards their Digimon?"  
Ruki inhales slightly to answer, but her lady self isn't done yet.  
"They care for each other. That's the whole point. It's that simple."  
There is a moment of silence as the lady gives Ruki time to think.  
"But she-" Ruki finally wants to say.  
"Don't say it! I dare you!" the lady suddenly shouts at her.  
"You wanted to say that Renamon turned her back on you, right? RIGHT?"  
Deeply frightened, Ruki nods.  
"In knew it! I knew it!" the feminine Ruki yells, walking in circles.  
"Did you ever think about the reason why Renamon did this? Hm? No, of course not."  
There is a long pause again.  
"I would say more, but I feel that you're drifting away." the lady finally says.  
_I'm drifting away? Where to? And why did Renamon leave?_  
"No! Please wait!" she yells as the space around her darkens again.  
"They care for each other, Ruki." she can hear the lady's last words.  
Then, everything is black again.  
  
"And you really want to write that into tonight's report?" the driver asks.  
"All the witnesses tell the same story." the officer says and shrugs.  
"Come on. A girl falls off the roof, and the man calls an ambulance. OK.  
A minute later, another person falls off the roof. OK.  
But then the second person picks the girl up and runs away? Come on!"  
Again, the man next to the driver shrugs.  
"The guys from the ambulance have simply noted that one as a false alarm." the driver says.  
"I know."  
"Shouldn't we do the same? I mean, we don't even have a description of the persons."  
"Well, a teenager wearing jeans and a shirt and a guy in a robe with a hood covering his face."  
There is a short pause.  
"False alarm." both men say in unison and nod.  



	5. Before the storm

Partner no more?  
Part V  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
"Renamon."  
She lifts her head when she hears Ruki's voice.  
_Ruki!_  
Renamon's eyes instantly focus on the young girl.  
It takes her some moments to realize that they are in a canyon area.  
The Digimon is distantly reminded of images of the Grand Canyon.  
While Renamon is standing on stable ground, her Tamer is not that safe.  
Ruki is standing on a bridge. It starts at the edge near Renamon and ends somewhere in the distance.  
The bridge is ridiculously narrow and has no handrails.  
One false step and...  
Renamon gulps.  
Then she notices the perfectly calm expression on Ruki's face.  
No fear. No anger. No... nothing.  
Without saying another word, Ruki lifts her D-Arc, holding it at an arm's length next to her.  
Slowly, Renamon moves towards Ruki.  
But after she has made her first step, she notices the bridge crumbling.  
A worried glance at Ruki is left unanswered.  
The Tamer simply stares at the Digimon. Then her expression changes to a smile.  
Then, she throws her D-Arc into the canyon beneath her.  
"I hate you." the Tamer tells her Digimon.  
Before she even realizes it, Renamon is running.  
"Ruki! Please don't!" she shouts at the girl.  
The bridge now crumbles at an alarming rate.  
_I have to save her. Even if she doesn't understand. I have-_  
Although Renamon is running at top speed now, Ruki doesn't seem to get closer.  
The crumling bridge is still too far away.  
And before the worried Digimon can think of something better, the bridge collapses.  
Renamon stumbles, bruising her knees badly. But she doesn't care.  
Her eyes are fixed on the spot Ruki had been standing at.  
She has seen the smiling face of her Tamer as Ruki had fallen down.  
"Renamon..." her voice echoes from the canyon walls.  
To Renamon it sounds as if the earth itself mocks the Digimon.  
  
Screaming, Renamon wakes up.  
  
Two days have passed since the fatal incident.  
_Accident._ an inner voice corrects her.  
But the voice is lying. Trying to make her feel better.  
Renamon knows what has happened.  
She blinks in the darkness surrounding her.  
"The dream again?" a male voice asks.  
The voice of the only being on this planet who understands her.  
"I'm sorry, Daniel." Renamon whispers, wiping the sweat out of her fur.  
"You don't have to apologize. I just wished I could do something."  
"I'll... I'll get over it." she lies.  
"Oh. You will, Renamon. I know you will." Daniel whispers.  
  
Renamon isn't the only one who wakes up screaming that night.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
Ruki Makino has managed to escape the darkness around her and finds herself...  
...in another dark space.  
But this time, it's different. She can feel it.  
And that's the whole point. She can _feel_ it.  
"You all right?" a male voice asks.  
Since her eyes aren't adepted to the darkness around her, she cannot see the man.  
Slowly, she calms down and starts to do a quick check.  
_OK. I'm sitting. In a bed. Since we have sleeping mats at home, I'm not there.  
Where could I be? Hospital? Must be. Then this must be a male nurse. Or a doctor._  
Satisfied with that explanation, Ruki continues her check.  
_What about me? I must have fallen five, six meters._  
As if on cue, she can feel the pain working its way through to her brain.  
She groans and sinks into the pillows again.  
"Yeah, thought so." the man next to her comments.  
_I feel as if every bone in my body is broken. But I'm not even bandaged._  
As the pain slowly drops to a reasonable level, she can feel a hand on her shoulder.  
"I'll get you something to eat. You must be starving." the man tells her.  
After giving the matter some thought, Ruki realizes that she is indeed hungry.  
_Must be late at night. Still, somebody has waited for me to wake up.  
Either my condition is really bad or this hospital is really good._  
Ruki closes her eyes for some seconds.  
Thus she doesn't see the 'nurse' leave the room.  
She doesn't see his height. His head. His fur. His claws.  
Or the happy, but tired expression on his face.  
  
It doesn't take Sanjay very long to prepare a quick soup.  
He doesn't want to leave Ruki too long. Besides, midnight isn't really the best time for a large meal.  
The wolf shakes his head to fight the tiredness as he is heading upstairs again.  
Lady Kioko had prepared a guest room on the first floor.  
She hadn't asked any questions about Ruki. Still, he had told her the whole story.  
As he approaches the closed door to Ruki's room, he allows himself a big yawn.  
And without thinking about it, he opens the door and switches the light on.  
  
Kioko's room isn't far away from Ruki's room.  
That way, the elderly lady has heard her 'guest' wake up.  
_Thank God._ she thinks as she is getting dressed.  
She has heard Sanjay leave the room. Maybe to get some food.  
Seconds ago, she has heard him return.  
"HELP!" somebody suddenly shouts.  
She recognizes the voice as Ruki's.  
Being slightly worried, Kioko storms out of her room.  
The first thing she sees is Sanjay.  
The big humanoid wolf is standing in the door-frame to Ruki's room.  
His eyes are widened in shock, his ears are lying flatly on his head, and he is frowning.  
It doesn't take Kioko long to find out what had happened.  
Still staring into the room, Sanjay stumbles backwards as the screams become even more terrified.  
Carefully, Kioko pulls Sanjay out of the door-frame and out of sight of the girl.  
"I-I-I didn't want- I just-" Sanjay tries to explain.  
"Shhhh. I know. I know. You wanted the best." she calms him down, taking the soup bowl out of his hands.  
The wolf sighs and goes downstairs again.  
Kioko sighs, too, feeling pity for Sanjay.  
Then she carefully enters Ruki's room... only to find it empty.  
She frowns as she still feels her presence in the room.  
The lady first puts the bowl of soup onto the nightstand.  
Then, following a hunch, she gets down onto her knees and takes a look under the bed.  
She frowns when she sees the small shivering ball there.  
"Ruki?" she quietly asks.  
The shivering slowly stops.  
"Is.. Is it gone?" the girl asks, her voice almost failing her.  
"Yes, it... he is gone." Kioko answers.  
Avoiding sudden movements, Kioko helps Ruki back onto the bed.  
  
It takes Ruki a while to calm down again.  
She had recognized the woman quickly as Lady Kioko.  
Most people in the neighbourhood know her and her little shop.  
Ruki also remembers that she has heard the lady's name not long ago.  
She accepts a handkerchief Kioko hands her and wipes away the tears.  
"How are you?" Kioko asks her.  
"My whole body aches." Ruki slowly answers.  
For the first time this evening, Kioko smiles.  
"Do you remember what has happened?" she suddenly asks with a serious expression.  
_I wish I wouldn't. I wish I could forget this evening._  
Ruki just nods.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kioko asks next, startling Ruki.  
"Talk? About what? How I fell off that roof?" Ruki asks back, feeling nervous.  
_Make something up. Come on!_  
"No. I know what happened. Sanjay told me."  
Hearing that, Ruki's thoughts come to an instant halt.  
_Sanjay told her. Sanjay saw it? Sanjay?_  
Ruki's eyes widen when she realizes why that name sounds familiar.  
_Renamon mentioned that the wolf-creature called Sanjay is helping Lady Kioko out!_  
"This... this... creature was... Sanjay?" she finally asks.  
"That's right. So Renamon told you about him?"  
"You know Renamon?" Ruki almost shouts at the lady.  
Kioko just sighs and hands her the soup bowl.  
"Well then. You eat and I do the talking for a while, OK?" she offers.  
Eagerly, Ruki grabs the bowl and starts to eat.  
"Lee has been here some days ago. He asked Sanjay to have an eye on you.  
Sanjay accepted after he had been told what had happened between you and Renamon."  
"But how did Lee know about this?" Ruki asks after quickly swallowing some noodles.  
"He had talked to Renamon earlier."  
"Lee is as good as dead." Ruki whispers.  
"Actually, _you_ would be dead now if it hadn't been for Lee.  
Sanjay has followed you two days ago. He told me that you had been almost dead after the fall.  
Now, I don't know much about how his strange powers work. But they did.  
Has Renamon told you about that part? Yes? Good. Sanjay instantly stabilized you.  
But it seems that humans are more fragile than Digimon, so he didn't risk to use his full potential.  
He brought you here since your condition was still critical."  
Ruki has stopped eating.  
Days ago, she would have called the elderly lady crazy.  
But somehow she trusts her.  
Her body hurts, but she hasn't seen any kind of bruise yet.  
There aren't even hints of scars or something like that.  
"Well, Sanjay has spent the following days restoring your health slowly.  
He only allowed himself short naps and stayed here the whole time."  
Kioko lets the words sink in.  
"Poor guy really is tired, I assure you.  
And although he would never admit it: He has been really worried about your condition.  
Normally humans aren't on his top priority list. But he made an exception for you.  
Even when you were out of the worst, he refused to bring you to a hospital."  
Ruki frowns and finishes her noodles.  
When she is done, Kioko takes the bowl and stands up.  
Lost in thought, Ruki doesn't even notice her leaving.  
  
Daniel wanders through the kitchen, cursing under his breath.  
_This digimon is really getting on my nerves!_ he tells himself angrily.  
He hasn't slept normally for days now.  
_Every time I try to sleep for an hour, she starts screaming and weeping again!  
I thought this Digimon was stronger than the others.  
If I had known that this one is such a crybaby, I wouldn't have made this plan!_  
He admits to himself that the death of that girl had had quite an impact on Renamon.  
_Still, this has to come to an end.  
It's a pity that they vanish after being killed, her fur would have looked good as a carpet._  
He shrugs.  
_Can't win them all, so who cares if I end this little play tonight?_  
Silently, he opens a hidden cabinet and takes out his katana.  



	6. Cruel intentions

Partner no more?  
Part VI  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
Lady Kioko leaves Ruki's room and silently closes the door behind her.  
_Poor girl. I wonder what really happened that night.  
We only know what Sanjay has seen, but he didn't hear much of their conversation._  
She slowly walks downstairs to bring the soup bowl into the kitchen.  
Kioko isn't really surprised to see Sanjay there.  
"I thought you were tired." she states innocently.  
The wolf is sitting on a chair, upper body resting on the table in front of him.  
His muzzle is resting on his crossed arms and his eyes are staring at the wall.  
"It's a dangerous combination." he says after a while.  
"What is a dangerous combination?" Kioko asks, washing the bowl.  
"I care for people, but humans are afraid of me."  
"That may be a problem, but why is it dangerous?"  
"I saved a man's life once. He had been mugged in a town and was bleeding.  
I took care of his wound. Then he saw my face, which had been hidden under the hood."  
"What did he do?" Kioko asks, being afraid of the answer.  
"He ran away and called for the guards. I barely got out of town alive."  
Just as Kioko wants to say that the result was overall postive, he continues.  
"On my way out of town, I had to kill three guards in battle."  
The bowl drops into the sink as Kioko is struggling for words.  
After a minute of silence, he sighs.  
"My greatest wish is that somebody would simply thank me for my work." he sighs.  
Then he realizes who he is talking to.  
"Aside from you, I mean." he quickly adds with a smile.  
"It's all right, I know what you meant." she says, one hand idly stroking his back.  
They stay like this for some more minutes.  
Finally Kioko stops and looks at Sanjay.  
"Why didn't you want to bring her to hospital, anyway?" she asks him.  
Sanjay looks up at her and frowns.  
"I didn't want Ruki to answer some really stupid questions."  
"And?"  
He sighs.  
"And I want to help Ruki and Renamon get together again."  
Kioko gives him a surprised look.  
"I think that they miss each other despite what happened."  
"Friends don't throw friends off rooftops."  
"Call it a hunch. Something is wrong with Renamon. And I want to find out-"  
He pauses to yawn.  
"Whatever you do, do it tomorrow." Lady Kioko tells him.  
"I guess you're right. At least all are healthy at the moment."  
  
Renamon is sitting on the edge of Daniel's bed, lost in thought.  
_I have to do it._ she tells herself again.  
But somehow she doesn't find the strength to do it.  
_I have to tell someone what I have done. But who?_  
She has the choice between Lee and Takato since they knew her. Sort of.  
In the end she decided to tell Lee.  
Still, she doesn't find the strength to confess what she had done.  
Renamon yelps when somebody grabs her shoulder.  
When she sees that it is, of course, Daniel, she relaxes slightly.  
"Feeling a little jumpy?" he asks her, starting to massage her shoulders with both hands.  
Instead of answering, Renamon just moans softly.  
Enjoying this feeling she simply stares straight ahead into the bathroom.  
_Oh, he left the door open._ she notices and smiles.  
Her eyes start to focus on something in the bathroom.  
Daniel simply continues his massage.  
Slowly Renamon's eyes have identified the object in question. It's a small flask.  
"I'll be right back." Daniel whispers into her ear.  
Renamon stays in her relaxed postion, her eyes now focussing now on the label.  
She briefly wonders why she is actually doing this, but finally dismisses the thought.  
Her consciousness misses Daniel. His hands on her back, the nice feeling she has had.  
_Fox pheromones._  
Daniel was the only person left. He liked her, and she was glad he had him.  
_Fox pheromones._  
He would understand her need to confess her doings. He would-  
_Fox pheromones?_ she wonders.  
Then she realizes that she has read the printing on the label.  
Time seems to slow down as her mind kicks into overdrive.  
Millions of different thoughts race through her brain while she is starting to stand up.  
When she feels the pain in her back, she notices that this last action has saved her head.  
  
_Stand still!_ Daniel wants to shout.  
The whole plan would have worked just fine.  
He had started to massage her so that Renamon would drop her guard.  
That part of the plan had worked just fine.  
When he had taken his sword, the Digimon still looked relaxed.  
Her postion was almost perfect for a clear cut through the neck.  
_She wouldn't have felt a thing! But noooooo, she had to get up right now!_  
He curses his luck.  
The katana is reddened with Renamon's blood since the cut wasn't a complete miss.  
Daniel sees the large wound across the fox's back and knows that she would bleed to death in a couple of minutes.  
Still he continues to attack her, trying to deliver the coupe de grace.  
But it's more difficult than he has imagined since Renamon hasn't stopped to move after the first strike.  
Of course he delivers quite a few hits since Renamon has almost no space to dodge his attacks.  
  
Renamon is out of breath.  
She hadn't expected an ambush like this, although she should have seen it coming.  
_I can't believe it! Why? I thought he-_  
Dodging another attack, she scolds herself.  
_Snap out of it! He kills Digimon! He baited you. And you went right into his trap!_  
Her view is already blurring.  
_It... can't end like that. I have to fight-_  
She shakes her head groggily.  
_On the other hand... Fight for whom? Ruki? I killed her! For him!_  
If she hadn't been fatally wounded, Renamon would have cried.  
_Now I have nowhere to go. Nobody cares about me. Maybe it's better this way._  
She sinks onto her knees, her sense of balance betraying her.  
As her head hits the carpeted floor, she can see the man who has beaten her.  
_I'm sorry, Ruki._ is her last conscious thought.  
  
Daniel sighs heavily as he watches the fox Digimon fade out of existence.  
But something startles him.  
"Strange." he mutters.  
He takes a look at his bedroom. Or what is left of it.  
His bed and large parts of the floor are stained with blood.  
Some pieces of furniture have been destroyed by his sword.  
"She just faded."  
Still, something is missing, although it's just a minor detail for him.  
"I thought that all killed Digimon dissolve in a cloud of glowing pieces."  
Then he shrugs and starts to clean his sword.  
  
_"One of my biggest mistakes in my life has been waking a sleeping Wolf."_  
The quotation made by a human warrior has become famous among wolves and humans alike.  
It also served as a warning not to disturb a Wolf's night rest.  
Obviously the quotation has not made its way to this world. Yet.  
Sanjay is lying in the darkness, sleeping for the first time in days.  
Of course, he has had short naps while monitoring Ruki.  
But those were just a few minutes per hour. Nothing like this.  
His ears twitch when they pick up Renamon's traditional fading-in sound.  
Split seconds later, he is startled by a sudden weight being dropped onto him.  
When he fully regains consciousness, he is already on top of the intruder, snarling wildly.  
The snarl quickly turns into a whining sound as he recognizes the smell.  
He recognizes Renamon's smell even through the thick smell of blood.  
_Blood?_  
He quickly gets off the limp body and turns on the light.  
Sanjay curses when he sees the wounds the Digimon has received.  
"Well, at least I won't have to look for you tomorrow..."  
He yawns and concentrates on the Power once again.  
_I really have to sleep sometime._ he tells himself while healing Renamon.  
For him he process seems to last forever. In reality, half an hour passes.  
Normally the process wouldn't have taken that long, but Sanjay feels burnt out.  
Healing the little girl had taken more than he allowed himself to admit.  
After the last wound has been healed, the wolf collapses next to the Digimon.  
And although his body tries desperately to shut down right now, he manages to stand up again.  
Shaking his head, he lifts up the unconscious Renamon and carries her upstairs into the bathroom.  
_I know how messy dried blood in fur can be._ he thinks as he prepares some warm water.  
Then he takes a sponge and starts to clean Renamon's bloody fur.  
Kioko has done he same thing for Ruki once her condition had been less critical.  
The very same Kioko wakes him up softly.  
_I must've fallen asleep... But when?_ he asks himself.  
He blinks and sees that Renamon's fur is completely blood-free now.  
Lady Kioko, who looks much more rested than himself, gives him a smile.  
"You should really rest. But not in my bathroom." she tells him with faked seriousness.  
"But.. I have to watch-" he tries to protest.  
She slaps his nose lightly.  
"I'll stay awake. Just bring her somewhere else." she tells him.  
This time, her seriousness is real.  
He nods weakly and starts to carry Renamon downstairs again.  
"Where are you going?" she asks him quietly, not wanting to wake up Ruki.  
"The cellar. I don't want them to meet just yet."  
"So you don't want to tell them about the presence of the other one?" she asks.  
Sanjay just nods.  
In the cellar, he carefully puts Renamon on his sleeping place.  
Then, he collapses once again, this time inviting the much-needed sleep.  
Somewhere in the distance, he can hear Lady Kioko's voice.  
"Thank you, Sanjay. Thank you."  



	7. Reunion

Partner no more?  
Part VII  
by Christian "Sid" Lang  
  
  


* * *

  
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Sanjay wakes up.  
Just as he wants to ask something, the hand gently holds his snout.  
"Shhhh. Renamon is still asleep." Lady Kioko whispers.  
He nods and blinks. Kioko has lit some candles to illuminate the room only a bit.  
"I'm going to prepare breakfast for... all of us."  
Sanjay notices that the lady avoids speaking Ruki's name.  
_Good. She probably thinks that Renamon might hear her._  
"That would be nice. Thank you." he whispers back.  
She just smiles gently and heads upstairs.  
Sanjay now looks at Renamon. The Digimon sleeps, but she is frowning.  
Then he hears her whisper something.  
"Ruki... I'm sorry..."  
  
Thanking Kioko again, Sanjay takes two bowls of soup down.  
He places one near Renamon's sleeping place.  
Then he sits down and starts to eat out of his bowl.  
The smell of food finally wakes up the sleeping fox.  
The golden-furred creature blinks. Then she looks at him.  
"Wha- You?" she asks in confusion.  
"Eat. You almost died last night and I bet you're still weak." Sanjay mutters.  
Renamon only sighs and looks down.  
"You should have let me die. I have no more reason to live." she whispers.  
Sanjay snarls loudly, making the fox jump.  
"So tell me your story then." he finally hisses.  
  
Renamon gulps. Should she tell him what has happened?  
How would he react? Would he kill her? Did it matter to her?  
"I... I have killed my Tamer." she finally whispers.  
She grits her teeth and closes her eyes, waiting for his reaction.  
All she hears are the sounds of Sanjay eating his soup.  
She blinks and stares at the wolf.  
"Are you actually listening to me?" she asks him.  
"Sure. But I want to hear why you did it. And how you feel."  
_Doesn' he care for humans at all? How can he simply ignore the fact that i KILLED her?_  
Still she continues.  
"I have been in love with a human. I really believed that it was the love of my life."  
"Go on." he encourages her.  
"I neglected Ruki more and more. In the end she got angry and told me that she hated me."  
He simply looks at her now and frowns.  
"It happened on a roof. I don't know why I did it, but I pushed her."  
She wipes away her tears and continues.  
"I-I felt s-so angry, then I threw her off the roof! I killed her! I killed her!"  
  
Sanjay embraces the crying fox and strokes her fur.  
"Please kill me. I don't deserve to live..." she whispers, but he simply holds her.  
"What happened then?" he asks.  
Her sobs become quiet now. Renamon looks away and bites her lower lip.  
"I-I stayed with Daniel. He t-told me that he w-would take care of me..."  
She clenches her fists now.  
"Too late I realized that he had toyed with me. With my feelings."  
He cocks his head. That part is new to him.  
"He tried to kill me. Killing Digimon is his hobby. What a fool I have been!"  
"And then you landed here?" Sanjay finally asks.  
She nods weakly.  
"Guess it was a reflex." she mutters.  
Sanjay only nods. He can see that she really misses the girl.  
  
Renamon looks up at the wolf, who only sighs.  
"So you think it was a mistake killing Ruki?" he asks.  
Fighting back her tears Renamon snarls.  
"Didn't you listen? I'd give anything to let her live again!" she snaps.  
He simply looks at her.  
"Ruki has been right! But I didn't want to listen and killed her!"  
She sobs briefly.  
"She deserves to live. I completely failed her! I'm her Digimon, after all!"  
Renamon turns away from him to hide her tears.  
She flinches when she feels his large hand on her shoulder.  
"I think you deserve a second chance." the wolf whispers.  
Renamon faces him angrily. His words seem to mock her.  
Then she sees... it.  
  
"Th-Th-That's... that's... Is it?" she stammers, raising her trembling paw.  
"The device Ruki dropped." Sanjay says and nods.  
Renamon briefly touches it, as if to verify that it's real.  
She looks up at him, and Sanjay can see the confusion in her eyes.  
"I saw what you did during that night. Lee sent me to look after you and Ruki."  
The fox carefully takes the device and holds it close to her heart.  
"And I took care of Ruki after her fall." Sanjay adds.  
Renamon's paws are instantly at his throat.  
"She's alive?" she hisses.  
Sanjay only nods.  
Suddenly Renamon is hugging him with all her strength.  
"Where is she?" the fox finally asks.  
"Stay here. If she wants to see you, she will call you."  
Renamon looks into his eyes.  
Sanjay knows that she is tempted of forcing him to talk.  
But in the end she only nods, understanding her situation.  
Nodding, Sanjay takes the device and leaves Renamon alone with her thoughts.  
  
On his way up, Sanjay meets Lady Kioko.  
"She's asleep. But I think she really wants to talk to somebody." she whispers.  
Sanjay only nods and sneaks to Ruki's door.  
Like a thief, he carefully opens the door and looks into the room.  
Just as Kioko has said, Ruki is asleep.  
Without waking the girl, Sanjay sneaks to her bed-side table.  
He opens a drawer and puts the device into it.  
Then he leaves the room again.  
Finally he knocks loudly, waking the girl up.  
"Y-Yes?" he hears Ruki's voice.  
"It's me, Sanjay. May I come in?"  
"Yes." she answers after a short pause.  
Slowly he opens the door and steps into the room.  
He waits in the door frame so he wouldn't scare her too much.  
When Ruki nods, he walks to her bed and sits on the chair standing next to it.  
  
"How are you?" the wolf creature asks her.  
_Oh perfect! My Digimon probably hates me and tried to kill me._ Ruki thinks.  
"The pain is gone." she only says.  
"Good. Then you will leave shortly." Sanjay simply says.  
Ruki blinks, but nods. She would go home. Alone.  
"Oh, by the way, I have news from Renamon." Sanjay mutters.  
"Really?" she asks eagerly, instantly scolding herself for it.  
"Yes. She told me that she has found a new Tamer."  
The girl gulps and bites her lower lip.  
"That man she loves?"  
"No. A nice little girl." the wolf says.  
"A... girl?" Ruki asks, trying not to cry.  
"Yes. Renamon really likes her. Says she is so nice and cares for her."  
Ruki looks down, knowing that Renamon has definately left her.  
"Renamon gave her the device you dropped. I think it's a symbol for their relationship."  
The wolf yawns lazily, ignoring Ruki's mood.  
"She says that this girl is the perfect Tamer. They really like each other I think."  
After a short pause, Sanjay stands up.  
"Well, I've got to go now. Your stuff is in the bed-side table. I'd start packing now."  
  
When Sanjay has left the room, Ruki buries her head in the pillow.  
_Why? Why did she leave me?_ she asks herself.  
Then she remembers her dream. Her vision.  
_"They care for each other. That's the whole point."_  
Ruki asks herself if she had cared for Renamon.  
_No. She has been my fighting machine. Nothing more._ she realizes.  
_Renamon wanted nothing more than a friend. But I didn't realize that._  
She wipes away her tears.  
_And now she's gone. She has found somebody she really likes._  
Ruki sobs, suddenly feeling very lonely.  
She realizes that Renamon had always been there for her. Comforted her.  
_And I ignored her feelings._  
The former Tamer sighs. She knows that it's over.  
Shaking her head, she opens the drawer of the table.  
"What the-" she mutters.  
Her eyes are fixed on the single object in the drawer.  
_"Renamon gave her the device you dropped. I think it's a symbol for their relationship."_  
Holding her breath, Ruki touches the D-Arc.  
Her D-Arc. Renamon's D-Arc. Their D-Arc.  
  
Renamon can't wait any longer.  
She has watched Ruki's reactions carefully.  
And she knows that Ruki misses her. She can see it in the girl's eyes.  
She appears next to the girl, who looks up at her.  
Tears flow down her pretty face, but Renamon knows that they're tears of joy.  
"R-Renamon..." Ruki whispers and smiles.  
The vulpine Digimon also smiles and hugs her Tamer.  
Then she realizes that Ruki might disapprove and quickly ends the hug.  
Instead she kneels on the floor and takes the girl's hands.  
Renamon can feel Ruki's firm grip on the D-Arc and looks up at the girl.  
"Ruki. Do you want to become my Tamer?" she asks with a smile.  
The girl looks into her eyes. Then, her smile slowly fades.  
"No."  
  
Ruki can see Renamon gasp.  
The Digimon's grip on her hands tightens.  
"N-N-No?" Renamon asks, her voice almost failing her.  
"No. I don't want to become your Tamer." Ruki firmly says.  
Renamon looks down at the floor.  
"I want to become your friend instead." Ruki finally says.  
Renamon's head jerks up and Ruki allows herself a smile again.  
The fox instantly embraces her again, making Ruki gasp.  
"Oh Ruki!" Renamon whispers.  
For the first time ever, Ruki realizes that Renamon is a living creature.  
She notices the warm breath, the soft fur, the beating of her heart.  
Finally she also wraps her arms around Renamon, returning the hug.  
"I'm sorry." Ruki whispers, making Renamon laugh.  
"Don't be. It has been my fault. I wasn't thinking straight." Renamon answers.  
Ruki smiles and gently starts stroking Renamon's fur.  
She is amazed when she notices how good it feels to do that.  
"Let's go home." Renamon finally suggests.  
"Yes. Mom must be worried as hell."  
  
After saying farewell to Kioko and Sanjay, Ruki walks home.  
She had thanked the lady and the wolf and promised to visit them soon.  
On the short way, Renamon explained what had happened.  
Ruki had to stop two times to calm the Digimon down.  
But finally she reaches the front gate of the house.  
Fortunately, Renamon had fetched her some clothes from her room.  
Her old outfit had blood stains all over it.  
Ruki gulps and walks into the house, where she meets her mother.  
"Oh, hello Ruki." Mikino greets her and smiles.  
_Isn't she worried?_ Ruki asks herself and frowns.  
"How did you like you trip?" her mother asks her.  
"Trip?" Ruki asks and blinks.  
"Yes. Lady Kioko said she'd take you to a short trip to show you some herbs."  
Ruki sighs and smiles. Lady Kioko had thought of everything.  
"Did you at least learn something useful?" Mikino asks.  
"Oh yes, Mom. I learned some very important things." Ruki answers and smiles.  
Renamon, who is hiding behind Mikino, also smiles at Ruki.  
_"They care for each other. That's the whole point."_  
  
  
The End.  



End file.
